Toy



R. C. HARGRE-AVES.

A P P L l C A T l 0 N F l L E D D E C 2 I l 9 2 0.

1 394 00 Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

2 SHE EET I.

INv

a mu l I "15 @MX/ R. C. HARGREAVES.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, I920.

1,394,008. mum Oct. 18,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f-E- j I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. HARGREAVES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ROYD. CHAPIN AND ONE-THIRD TO GUIDO G. BEHN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,885.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. HAR- onnavns, a. citizen of'the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, county of l/Vayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object a toy particularly adapted tofamiliarize children with and interest them'in the economic developmentof'highway transport. It aims to stimulate their interest and create abroa'derknowledge 0f the purposes which highway transport can fulfil instrengthening and developing our national life. The

toy embodying my invention comprises a toy vehicle and a series ofsections or blocks which when joined together produce a modern highway.Some sections are straight, others are curved, and others again providefor road intersections. When placed end to end in the form of a highway,

miniature vehicles may be operated over them. These vehicles in the formof automobiles, motor trucks, tractors and trailers, are guided in theirtravel by continuous grooves or rails or both, provided in the sectionswhich make up the toy. Certain sections are made up to include objectscommonly foundadjacent or forming part of highways, such, for instance,as the inter section of two roads, a filling station for gasolene, abridge over a stream or railroad track, an underpass bridge or the like.The

ends of'each section are constructed to simulate'the under surfaceconstruction of a highway. This is conveniently accomplished byattaching to the ends of the sections colored lithographs or the like,representing the sewers, water mains, electric and telephone wireconduits, catch basins, layers of stone,

'etc., which are commonly found beneath a well-constructed highway. Thesections can be made upin great variety and by changing their relativepositions, the appearance of the route can be completely changed.

The invention provides a toy having considerable educational value, andone with which a child will amuse itself for long periods, particularlybecause it assists the child to imagine a journey along a routesuggested by the toy and to en oy in imagination many incidents of sucha journey.

Additional sections suggestive of natural features or of waysideincidents may be provided for small additional expense so that the childmay have his toy gradually developed and elaborated.

' The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novelfeatures thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claimsat the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a layout of a route made up of fifteensections embodying my invention and shows a miniature motor vehicle inoperation on the highway.

Figs. 2, 3 and, 1 are views in perspective of representative sections,Fig. 2 showing a motor vehicle on the roadway.

' Fig. 5 shows the fifteen sections shown in Fig. 1 rearranged topresent a route of altogether different appearance.

Referringnow to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown a toy embodying myinvention composed of fifteen sections numbered consecutively from 1 to15; a typical straight section designated a is shown in Fig. 2. At 37 isshown a miniature motor vehicle in operation on the track formed by thesections. The section shown in Fig. 2 has its top surface shaped tosimulate the cross-sectional contour of a highway, a sidewalk 16, acurbstone 17, and'road surface 81 being provided. In the road surfacesare formed tracks 18, 19 and 20, 21 which, in the toy shown in thedrawings, are in the form of grooves or tracks to receive the wheels ofa toy automobile or other toy vehicle. On the ends of each section areplaced simulations of the undersurface structures common to streets andhighways. In Fig. 2, there are shown sewers 23 and 24, a catch basin 25,electric wire conduit 26, and water and'gas mains 27 and 28. Thematerials of which the roadway are constructed are also shown in thisway. In Fig. 2, the roadway section 131, illustrating a roadsidegasolene supply or filling station 32 with a driveway 33 leading to it.In Fig. 4 is shown a section 34 illustrating a bridge 35 over a stream36 and showing that there may be a difference in the grade or elevationof the roadway. Other sections may be made according to the scenes orincidents which it may be desired to represent to the childsimagination. V

The sections may be arranged in different order, either in an endlesspath or otherwise as is desired. Thus in Fig. 5, I have shown thesections which are shown in Fig. 1 rearranged to produce a route ofaltogether. different appearance.

What I claim is,- 1. A toy composed of a series of sections constructedto simulate the appearance of a highway, the ends of the sections beingcovered with paper printed to illustrate the cross-sectional structureof a highway, and the surface being formed into a track for thepassageof a toy vehicle.

2. toy composed of a series of sections constructed to simulate theappearance of a highway, some of said sections being straight and othersbeing curved, each of said sections having its ends adapted to abutagainst the end of any other section to form a continuation of saidhighway and having .the top surface formed into atrack for the passageof a toy vehicle, and the ends of the sections covered with paperprintedto simulate the cross-section of theundersurface 7 construction of ahighway.

3. A toy composed of a miniature'vehicle and a series of sectionsconstructed to simulate the appearance of a highway and having tracksfor said vehicle, the ends of the sectionssimulating a section of theundersurface construction of a highway.

4. A toy which includes a miniature motor vehicle and a series ofsections constructed to simulate the appearance of a highway and havingtracks to guide said miniature motor vehicle, said tracks being disposedlongitudinally of said sections, and said sections being'adapted to abutend to end to form a continuation of said highway, some of the sectionsbeing constructed to include models of objects common to highways.

5. A toy composed of a series of sections constructed to simulate ahighway and having the top surface formed into a track for the passageof a toy vehicle,said tracks being disposed longitudinally of saidsections, and said sections being adapted to abut end to end to' form acontinuation of said highway, some of thesections being constructed 'tosimulate the structures found along a highway.

6. A toy composed of a miniature vehicle and a series of elongatedsections constructed to simulate the appearance ofa highway and havingtracks to guide said vehicle, said tracks being disposed longitudinallyof said sections, and said sections being adapted to abut end to end toform a continuation of said highway. 7

7. A toy composed of a miniature vehicle and a series of sectionsconstructed to simulate the appearance of a highway and having tracks toguidesaid vehicle along said highway, each of said sections being adapted to abut against any other section to form a continuation of saidhighway. 8. A toy composed of a miniature vehicle and a series ofsections each constructed to simulate the appearance of a portion of ahighway and adapted to be assembled to form a continuous highway, someof said sections being straight and others being curved, and each ofsaid sections having tracks to guide said vehicle along said highway.

9. A toy. composed of a miniature vehicle and a series of elongatedsections each constructed to simulate the appearance of .a portion of ahighway and havingtracks to guide said vehicle along said highway, saidtracks being disposed longitudinally of said sections, sald sectionsbeing adapted to abut end to end to form a continuoushighway, some ofsaid sections being straight and others being curved.

'10. A toy composedof a miniature vehicle and a series of elongatedsections constructed to simulate the appearance of a highway and havingtracks to guide said vehicle, said tracks being disposed longitudinallyof said sections, said sections being adapted to abut end to end to forma continuation of said highway,.and the ends of the sections simulatingsections of theundersurface' construction of said highway.

11. A toy'composed of a' miniature vehicle and a series of sections eachconstructed to simulate the appearance of a-portion of a highway andadapted to be assembled to form a continuous highway, some of saidsections being straight and others being curved, each of said sectionshaving tracks to guide said vehicle along said highway, and the ends ofsaid sections simulating sections of the undersurface construction ofsaid highway. V V r 12. A toy composed of aminiaturevehicle and a seriesof elongated sections'constructed to simulate theappearance of a highwayand having tracks to guide said vehicle along said highway, said tracksbeing disposed longitudinally of said sections, and each of saidsections having its ends adapted to abut against the end of any othersection to form a continuation of said highway. 1

. 13; A toy. composed of a miniature vehicle anda series of sectionseach constructed ,to simulate the appearance of a portion of a highwayand :having tracks to guide said vehicle along said highway, some ofsaid sections being straight and others being curved, and each of saidsections being adapted to abut against any other section to form acontinuation of said highway.

14. A toy composed of a miniature vehicle and a series of elongatedsections each constructed to simulate the appearance of a portion of ahighway and having longitudinally disposed tracks to guide said vehicle10 along said highway, each of said sections having its ends adapted toabut against the end of any other section to form a continuation of saidhighway, some of said. sections being straight and others being curved.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT C. HAR-GREAVES.

